Palestinian Singer Saint Levant Postpones US Tour Over Visa Issues
Al Jazeera Staff
Palestinian singer-songwriter Saint Levant has postponed his first North American tour due to major US visa complications. The 41-date tour, supporting his album AFANDI, will be rescheduled to spring 2027. The move reflects growing challenges for international artists amid tightened US immigration policies.
On August 26, Saint Levant announced on Instagram that the US government initially approved his visa application, but as the tour dates approached, he was unexpectedly required to undergo additional background checks.
“After consulting with my legal team and several Palestinian and Arab colleagues who have experienced similar situations, I and my team have decided to postpone the North American shows to spring 2027 in hopes that the visa process will be completed,” he wrote.
The 41-date tour was expected to be the biggest event of Saint Levant's career, taking him across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, including US cities such as Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Detroit. The tour was intended to promote his second studio album, AFANDI, released on August 21.
Saint Levant's tour postponement comes amid a growing number of international artists being forced to cancel or reschedule US performances due to stringent immigration policies under President Donald Trump. Since taking office for his second term, Trump has enacted various measures restricting foreign nationals' entry, including suspending visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, among them Brazil, Afghanistan, Senegal, Uruguay, and Thailand.
Last month, US federal judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that this policy exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's authority and declared it unlawful. However, the administration has also sought to revoke visas already issued and paused visa appointments worldwide in August for “intensive training” at consular posts.
Numerous international artists, from musicians to comedians, have canceled or adjusted their US schedules due to visa difficulties and rising legal costs. The Tuareg guitar band Tinariwen from North Africa had to cancel their tour because several members hold Malian nationality, a country on the visa ban list. Mexican singer Diego Millan, known as Calle 24, also announced the cancellation of his US shows after his work visa was unexpectedly revoked.
Critics fear the US is using immigration policy to discriminate against certain groups or stifle dissenting voices. Under Trump's second term, the US has revoked visas and green cards for individuals who have spoken out in support of Palestinian rights. Scholars and students such as Mahmoud Khalil, a former Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, are among the most prominent cases. Members of the Palestinian Authority have also had their visas revoked.
In an executive order issued on the first day of his second term, Trump stated he would restrict visas for those “supporting hateful ideologies” or holding “hostile attitudes toward US citizens.” Secretary Rubio subsequently invoked the Immigration and Nationality Act to deport pro-Palestinian supporters who posed “potentially serious foreign policy consequences for the United States.” However, last week, a judge called these policies a violation of free speech rights under the US Constitution.
Saint Levant was born in Jerusalem to a French-Algerian mother and a Serbian-Palestinian father. His music often narrates Palestinian experiences, including forced displacement and oppression, while expressing pride in his heritage.
